Circular knitting machine



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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE ,Filed Feb, 17, 1941 ll Sheets-Sheet 10 Fig. I 5. 157 I56 R. K. MILLS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17. 1941 ll sheets-Sheet 11 5y i 770 y Patented Nov. 3, 1942 2,301,065 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Robert Kirkland'Mills, Sherwood, Nottingham England, assignor to Hosiery Developments Limited, Nottingham, England Application February 17, 1941, Serial No. 379,33

In Great Britain October 27, 1939 2 Claims.

This \invention relates to improvements in circular knitting machines and the production of fabrics or hose or parts thereof and articles thereon. In particular the invention is concerned with circular knitting machines and the production of hose thereon of the type in'which the hose is shaped or fashioned by the automatic introduction of needles from an inoperative to an operative position during the production of the hose.

It will therefore be appreciated that when commencing to knit the stocking blank there is a number of needles, coinciding with the back of the stocking, which are in an inoperative position, and such needles are selectively brought into operation to increase the effective width of the blank. After a blank has been completed and pressed off, knitting is automatically recom-' menced with the aforesaid needles in the inoperative position, and considerable difliculty has been experienced by virtue of the fact that when the previously formed blank was pressed off all of the latches of the needles were closed.

If now an inoperative needle is moved to the operative position immediately prior to its first knitting operation, there is a grave danger that the latch will not be opened, and in this event the needle will not take the thread and a press oil may result, or in the alternative the requisite blank will not be produced. Various means for overcoming this trouble have been been proposed, such as the use of-a; metal latch opener, or the use of a wirerbrush contacting with the needles at the station at which they are moved upwardly from an inoperative to an operative position. I

The diflicultfi-of correctly locating a metal latch opener so? that it will contact with latches that are closed and ensure-that they are opened by momentary engagement, and at the same time will not in any way injure the needles, will be appreciated by anyone skilled in the art. If in lieu of alatch opener of this type a wire brush, such as a circular wire brush, is u ilised, one cannot be sure that a single upward movement of a needle relatively to the brush will ensure that the latch is opened. In point of fact, in practice it has frequently been found that the latch is not opened. Therefore with a view to overcoming this diiflculty the present invention provides in a circular knitting machine of the type equipped with latch needles and arranged to produce a fashioned. area of fabric by the automatic introduction of needles from an inoperative to an operative position as knitting proceeds,

a latch opener, and means for moving the inoperative needles relatively to it at each of a series of successive courses for the purpose of opening their latches. A furtherfeature of the invention resides in the provision, in a circular knitting machine organised for' production of a fashioned blank for a stocking or the like by rotational knitting from the toe-end upwards, the toe being added by knitting on another machine, of means for pressing of! all needles at the termination of a blank, other than a central group of needles means for knitting roving courses and at least one slack running-on course on said central needles prior to the commencement of the foot, and fashioning mechanism for progressively introducing, into activity at each side,

of said central group, the pressed-oil needles in order to fashion the blank. A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision, in a circular knitting'machine organized for the production of a fashioned blank for stocking or the like by rotational knitting from the 'toe upwards, of means for pressing off, at the termination of a, blank, all the needles other than a central group of needles, means for operating said central needles to knit by rotation in the production of a foot portion of the blank. means for causing certain of said needles to take and knit a splicing thread in the production of a spliced area at each edge of the blank, means for progressively varying the number of needles taking and knitting the splicing thread, and fashioning mechanism for progressivelyintroducing,

into activity at each side of said central group,

the-pressed-oif needles in order to fashion the blank; A further feature of the invention is concerned with means whereby the spliced stitches are slackened.

one or more partial slack courses, that is to say one'or more courses in which the splicing extends onlyipart-way across a stocking blank, in

order to facilitate the running-on of the fabric on to a heeling machine by which the heel tabs are subsequently knitted on the fashioned blank.

A still further feature 'of the invention consists in the production of 1 ferred to.

Figure .4 is a perspective view of the,head of. knitting machine on which the blank is Figure 9 illustrates to some extent diagrammatically the operation of the pickers on the needle Jacks for progressively narrowing spliced areas. i I

v Figure 10'is a similar view but illustrating the progressive widening of the spliced areas.

Figure 11 is likewise a similar view illustrating the operation of the pickers in fashioning and I mock fashioning.

Figure 12 is a plan, partly in section, showing the sinker cams and means for imparting an abnormal advance to certain sinkers.

Figure .13 is a sectional view on asomewhat larger scale rurtherillustrating the last said means.

Figure 14 is a development illustrating the fact i that certain'sinkers areprovided with longbutts. Figure 15 is an elevation of means provided for racking the pattern drum it, hereinafter re- Figure 16 is a further view of the latter.

Figure 111s a plan looking on the top of the needle cylinder and showing the trapping and cutting mechanism for the ground thread G and locking thread L hereinafter referred to.

Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the manner in which saidlocking and taken by the needles. while Figure 19 is another perspective view showing the various feeders at themain feeding position.

The stocking blank shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is made entirely by rotation, the number of needles that knit being varied to produce a shaped area of fabric the edges of which are connected by float threads- In F18. 1 the fabric is shown at the right-hand side,.of the .tube, while the float threads extend over the left-hand portion m of the tube circumference. The biiindary of b is produced so as to permit the blank subsequently to be run-on to the needles of a footing machine by which the toe is knitted. Thereafter locked fabric according, to my prior U. S.

Patent No. 1,960,161 granted May 22, 1934, is knitted to form the foot and instep portion 0 but the marginal areas it of this portion are spliced as in a "slipper foot. It will be noticed that each spliced area it is narrowed as knitting proceeds upwards from the toe, then continues at a constant width, and subsequently is again widened to a width somewhat less than the original width. In this second-mentioned widened area, indication lines marked f in Figs. 1 and 2' and shown on a large scale in Fig. 3 are produced. It is intended that the blank should be out along these lines and the high heel portions a hereinafter mentioned shall be run-on to the needles of a heeling machine and heel tabs knitted on to said portions. In the production of these lines I matters are so arranged thatthe. locking thread Lis excluded from certain group of the needles at each edge of the blank for four courses so that unlocked fabric is produced. In the first of the second and'third courses, as far as the thread L is fed to commencement of splicing, and as a result they terminate shaft of the inner margins of the spliced areasf as will readily be appreciated from Figs. 14.. Therefore the corners of the heels, being spliced, are strengthened. The fourth course is similar to the first course in that it is tivity, and it is preferably accompanied by the the knitted fabricat that portion of the tube V which faces the observer in Fig. 1 is indicated by a chain dotted line. In Fig. 2 the development circumference ofthe needlecylinder is indicated by the dotted lines between which the dimension line marked 0 extends, and the boundaries of the fabric blank are indicated by full lines. The stocking blank is preferably produced according to my prior U. 8. Patent No. 2,191,577, granted February 27, 1940, but it may be mentioned that the float threads may be cut out during the manufacture of the stocking instead of being cut out subsequently.

The stocking is'knitted from the toe upwards and in Figs. 1 and 2 a blank with a French foot is illustrated. although it may be pointed out that an English foot may likewise be produced. At

the commencement of knitting all needles other' than the group of needles for knitting the instep and sole portion of the blank are pressed off, and a certain number of roving courses indicated at a are knitted. Next a slack running-0n cou se production f mock-fashion marks. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the lines of mock-fashion marks h may be parallel to the edges 2 of the blank so that "in the finished stocking, when the edges of the blank are seamed together, said mock fashion lines are parallel to one another. Alternatively the lines of mock-fashion marksh may be arranged to converge upwardly or downwardly in the finished stocking. The mock-fashion marks are preferably produced by tuck stitching, but they may b produced by any other known suitable means. After the leg has been widened to a suflicient extent a further parallel portion of the blank is produced and then it is again widened as at i in thejequivalent of what in a stocking produced on a Cottons patent machine is known as the thigh narrowlngs. This widening at i may be accompanied by the production of I mock-feshion marks 1 which: in the-finished stocking maybe parallel or may converge up! wardly or downwardly. By. the widening at i the blank is broughtto its maximum compass or width, so that that are of the needle circle in which knitting does not take place is reduced to a minimum. Thereafter the fabric 10 for the welt is knitted above the line marked it. This line I: may be taken to indicate a narrow band of reinforced fabric (knitted of a yarn R hereinafter referred to) to hold the stitches when the welt is closed by sewing and/or it may be taken to represent a line of open-work such as is someyarn (e. g. natural or art silk) as the leg or panel a and to introduce the stouter yarn W after the picot edge has been made.

The shaping of the blank is effected by introducing needles into knitting activity in the manner described in my said prior Patent No.

2,191,577, and it may here be pointed out that the parts herein indicated by the following references: I, 2, 4-1, 9-22, 25-38, 32-36, 38-48 and 42 are identical with or are the equivalents of the parts having the same references in the said patent. there shown at I- and have knitting butts of contrasting lengths and two latches (for knitting the fabric of said prior Patent No. 1,960,161). There is a central group of needles indicated under the bracket NHSN in Fig. 8 and having medium length butts. This central group is flanked by groups SBN having short butts. It is these three groups which knit the instep and foot portion of the blank. They are again flanked by groups LBN whereof theneedles have long butts, and it is these needles LBN which are introduced into activity to widen the blank. In effect they are fashioning needles. Since in Fig. 8 the developed circumference of the needle cylinder is indicated by the dimensional arrow C it will be appreciated that between the adjacent ends of the groups LBN there is a portion of the needle circle which Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the needles are butts. At each edge of the group of needles MBN there is a group of jacks having long butts. The jacks of these groups and the jacks with the medium length butts are bracketed under the letters SJ, because they are the jacks which are used in splicing. Between the groups of jacks SJ and immediately at the centre of the needle group MBN there is a group of jacks P having short butts.

At the right-hand edge of Fig. 7 two needles are shown. The lower one, on the extreme right, is in the inactive position in which its knitting butt will follow the inactive track 4; the butt of the raised needle pursues the active track 5. At the termination of one'stocking blank all the needles will be pursuing this track 5 and it is first necessary to press off all the needles other than those that are required for the instep and foot of the next blank. This is effected by'a. radially movable needle clearing cam Ii which is inserted to raise all the needles I to clear and by a cam 9 which is partially inserted so that after the cleared needles have been lowered by cam I the long butt needles LBN are further taken down by cam 9 to the inactive track 4. At the same time that the needles pass down cam 9 the butts I2 of the jacks FJ pass down cam 2I to a lower inactive track 68. Therefore only the needles having butts SBN and MBN continue round to the main knitting cams KC. Cam 62 is also inserted to engage the butts LBN of the fashioning needles running in track 4.

The said needles are therefore raised so that their latches are brushed open by the latch-opening brush 63,

said needles being subsequently lowered to the,

knit their top latches are open.

is not so far accounted for. This portion may be entirely void of needles. In otherwords there may be a gap in the circle of needles. This gap is indicated by the broken brackets .G, and at each rotation of the needle cylinder (orof the cam box as the case may be) a floating thread (or two floating threads of locked fabric is beli'ig made) will be laid across it. Although this gap is a very narrow one when all the needles of groups LBN have been brought into activity, yet at the commencement of the stocking blank (when said groups LBN are, inactive) the gap is quite wide and the floating threads m are long.

In order to ensure that the first active needle at one side ofthe gap takes and knits the fed thread with accuracy, itis desirable to minimize the lengths of the floats. Therefore a few short butt needles indicated at Gnin Fig. 8 are introduced into' this gap. Theie needles always 'knit, but

they do not take any part in the formation of the 8. At the moment it is only necessary to refer to the jack butts I2 (Fig. 8) at one level. The Jacks beneath the fashioning needles LBN are in- The cam 6 is controlled by means of a bellcrank-lever II (Fig. 5) link 12, bell-crank-lever I3 and a thrust rod I4 from the main drum I23 of the machine. Cam 8 is controlled by a finger 15 on a vertical rod 18 which is itself rocked by a finger 'I'I engaged by a bell-crank-lever I8 operated by a push rod Hi from the main drum. The

latch-opening cam 62 (see Figs. 5, 6 and-7) is operated by a lever 88, link 8I, bell-crank-lever 83, and push rod 84 from the main drum of the machine.

To return new to the knitting sequence, after the foregoing movements of cams 6, 9 and 62, a few roving courses are knitted and the main stitch cam 2 is adjusted downwards by the usual thrust bar from the cam drum (not shown) to draw-long loops for a toe running-on course. It may here be mentioned that during the roving courses and slack course the locking cams LC (which manipulate the needles to take a locking thread L and therewith to lock the loop: formed at the main feeding position) are retracted so that the needles produce unlocked loops. Likewise the sinker cams LCS associated with the locking cams LC are retracted. After the running-on course the locking cams LC and sinker cams LCS are pushed in. Their control is illustrated in Fig. 4 and that for the locking earns LC consists of levers 85, 85', links 86, 86', bell-- lever I29 on the latter whereby it is rocked by a push rod I28 (having a suitable ramp) from the drum I23. It may also be mentioned at this stage, that when the locking cams are withdrawn the advance of the sinkers at the main knitting position is slightly increased so as to adjust the quality of the fabric. The mechanismfor effecting this comprises a finger II! on the vertical of groups FJ since they pursue the lower inactive track 80, and it will not lift the jacks of the central group P because they have short butts II. The said cam I3 is controlled by link 8', bellcrank-lever 9i, and push rod 92 (Fig. from the main drum of the machine. Throughout the splicing the sinkers 43 associated with the splicing needles are given an abnormal inward advance so that the spliced loops are slackened and the slackening is substantially confined to the splicing. The means whereby this result is achieved is described later.

In order, however, to produce the gradual narrowing of the spliced sole areas d shown in Fig. 2 it is of course necessary gradually to reduce the number of'jacks SJ that ascent the clearing cam I 3, this reduction being effected from the inner ends of said groups SJ. Fig. 9illustrates this operation. The jacks are picked down one by one by picking-levers I8, Ila provided on a pair of picker blocks I 4, Ila. The block I! is mounted on a ring I5 which encircles the needle cylinder and is capable of rotating thereon while the, block Ila is carried on a similar ring I6. These two rings are urged in opposite directions, such that the picker blocks tend to approach one another, by springs II, IIa which extend between suitable abutments on the rings and suitable abutments I on the needle cylindner. The spring pressure tends to draw stops 84 and 64a together against a pin 65 on the needle cylinder. The pickers l8,

- said cam may also be held out of operation position for prolonged periods by binding mechanism operated from the main drum of the machine.

and comprising lever 98, bell-crank-lever 91 and Bush rod 98. The sinker cam a hereinafter referred to is also inserted at the same time. as the cam 20 in order to' ensure that the spliced loops are slackened. When the plunger I9 is depressed by the cam 20 the pic er I8 is likewise depressed and, engaging a proj, tion b on the inner jack of the right-hand group SJ, lowers said jack until its butt I2 is brought to a position In which (as is shown at the, right-hand side of Fig; 9) it will eventually meet cam 2I and be carried downward thereby. This brings the jack to the lower track 80 so that the needle associated therewith will not be elevated by cam I3 to take the splicing thread, but will knit the ground thread only. This downward movement,

completed by cam 2|, brings a widened portion IIa of the jack located beneath the butt I2 into contact with the curved cam-like face of an abutment 22a on the picker block II, and therefore causes said picker block to be displaced tothe right in Fig. 9 against the action of spring Il through one needle space. portion Ila serves as a locating stop for the picker. This takes place course after course, and in each course a similar operation likewise takes place on the jacks SJ of the left-hand group, but in this case the parts Ila of the successively lowered Jacks engage the cam-like .case of an abutment no on the picker block Ila and cause said picker block to be moved to the left in Fig. 9 against the action of spring I'Ia. This reduction in the number of splicing needles continues until the desired reduction in the width of the spliced areas is eflected. Conveniently it continues until in each group SJ all the jacks having long butts and approximately half the Jacks having medium butts have been lowered to the inactive track. When the desired reduction has been effected cam 20 is retracted to an inoperative position. Subsequently, when it is desired to widen the spliced areas adjacent to the heel line I the jacks are picked up again by the same pickers and this up picking operation is illustrated in Fig; ,10. A cam 25 is inserted which raises the plungers I8, and "a, and their respective pickers I8 and Ita to pick up-the jacks until their butts I2. are brought into the range, of can 26 whereby said butts are brought to the operative track so that they eventually engage cam I3. Referring to the right-hand side of Fig. 10, it will be seen that the picker ll is shown as elevating one'otthe jacks by engagement beneath the projection Ila thereon and this brings the butt I2 into position for engagement by cam 28. Whenv said butt I2 is elevated by cam 28 the part Ila is removed from the cam-like abutment -22 so thatthe spring II pulls the picker to the the first course thereof it is necessary to exclude the locking thread L from certain needles and to cause said needles to produce long loops. To do so those of the lock cam 10 that are shades in Fig. 'I are partially retracted to miss the'but-ts of the needles of the two groups SBN. Therefore only the needles of the central group MBN continue to lock their stitches. Furthermore the sinkers 48 associated with the needles SBN which continue to produce unlocked but spliced stitches means hereinafter described so that the said 'spiiced stitches are slackened. 'In the second and third courses the spliced thread is excluded from the needles SBN. For this purpose the splicing cam I2 is retracted half-way so that it misses the medium butt Jacks of groups SJ, only the long butt jacks of groups SJ being elevated thereby to take the splicing thread. The fourth course is identical with'the first course.

' Thereafter the locking cams LC, and cam 20, are pushedin and the number of needles taking In effect then, the

the splicing thread is reduced to form the high heel parts If, this reduction being effected in the manner previously described with reference to Fig. 9. Finally the needle clearing cam 6 is completely retracted cam I3 is pushed right in, and the splicing feeder SF removed from feeding position, so that splicing ceases. It will be noted,

operation. Their mode of operation is as follows: When for example the plunger 33 strikes cam 34 and is raised thereby the picker 28 strikes the projection 21a of that lack opposite which it is located and raises the Jack 21 until the lower butt 35 with which it is provided is broaght into "the range of a cam 36. This cam continues the to engage the long butts 31 on the lower Jacks 21 that are associated with the splicing jacks SJ and to raise to track 6| all the splicing Jacks that have been picked down into track 60. As the jacks ride up cam 51 and cam 26 the parts Ila thereon are removed from the abutments 22, 22a

on the picker blocks II, Ila, and the latter are drawn together into the starting position by springs I'I, Ila. This cam 61 is operated by mechanism, shown in Fig. 5 as consisting of levers II3, I II, bell-crank-lever H 5 and push rod Hi, from the main drum of the machine. The introduction of cam 61 is also accompanied by the introduction of cam I2 I, since these cams are connected by connections I-Il, I22. This cam I2I effects the withdrawal through the picker blocks I4, Ila of movable stops I30, I30a respectively associated therewith, which stops, when withdrawn, permit of the upward passage of the lack parts Ilb, Ilc, as will be appreciated from an inspection of Fig. 10.

It is here convenient to refer in greater detail to the functions of cams 5 and I3. Throughout the foot up 'to the end of the splicing, cam I serves to raise the needles to clear in normal manner, while cam I3 raises selected needles to take the splicing thread. Subsequent to the termination of splicing, cam 3 cannot be employed to clear the needles because certain nee-lies will be required to tuck in the production of mocki'ashion marks and a picot edge. Those needles that are not required to tuck therefore clear at cam I3, until after the picot edge has been produced, when cam 6 is inserted and cam l3 withdrawn;

To resume, after the spliced high heel parts have completed the knitting of locked fabric continues on needles SBN and MBN until it is de-. sired to widen as at e by the introduction of the fashioning needles LBN gradually to reduce the gap GB. This introduction of the fashioning needles is effected by fashioning-pickers, the operation of which is illustrated in Fig. ll. There are two of these pickers and they respectively comprise picker blocks 29, 29a mounted on rings 33, 30a and biased away from one another by springs 32, 32a. 'The picker block 29 carries a plunger 33 working a picker 28, and the block 29a carries a plunger 33a working a picker 28a. These pickers operate underneath projections 21a on the lower lacks 21, and the plungers 33 33:: are displaced upwardly .by a bolt cam 3| which is introduced at the appropriate time. This bolt cam 33 is controlled 'by means of a finger I04 associated with a feeier I05 for the drum 53, said flnger and feeler being rotatable about rock shaft upward movement and brings the upper jack butt I2 from track 50 into track iii and into the range of the elevating cam 25. Thereby a pro- Jection 21b on the lower jack 21 is raised until it engages the curved cam-like face of an abutment 31 onthe picker block 29. The picker block is therefore forced to the left (Fig. 11) through one needle space against the action of spring 32 so that the picker 2a is brought into register with the next jack 21. The picker 23a operates in a similar -manner except in that it moves to the right (Fig. 11) because considering the jack butts illustrated in Fig. 8 it operates at the right-hand end of the left-hand group of Jacks FJ. When a jack is elevated by a picker 28a. and cam 34 the part 2112 is brought against the curved cam-like face of an abutment 31a on the block 29a and the said block is moved to the right against the act-ion of spring 32a. Thus the two fashioning pickers continue to approach one another (Fig. 11) until they have picked nearly all the fashioning jacks, being then put out of operation by retraction of the cam 34. At the same time that the fashioning at e is effected he lines of mock-fashion marks h are also produced by pickers associated with the two blocks 29, 29a.

lower the associated jacks by engagement with the shoulders lld thereon. This causes the Jack butts l2 to be brought within range of the lowering face of the cam I3 so that the associated needles do not clear for one course, the jacks I00 and being arranged to be blufled from the The widening pickers start picking at approximately half-way through the widening l3 mined number of courses.

being subsequently raised by cam 26 whereby tuck stitches are produced, the frequency of the tuck stitches being determined by the frequency of the insertion of the cam 40, say every four courses. Since the mock fashioning pickers are supported on the same picker blocks as the fashioning pickers the mock fashioning marks are parallel with the edges of the block, the spacing being determined by the ofiset between each fashioning picker and its associated mock-fashioning picker. In Fig. 11 the mock-fashioning picker operates seven jacks inwards of the fashioning pickers although any other spacing may be adopted.

After the calf fashioning has been completed the fashioning cam 3| and the mock-fashioning cam 40 are taken out of operation for a predetermined period until they are again introduced for the thigh fashionings i, a, at which time the fashioning pickers complete the picking of the fashioning jacks FJ. Cams 62 and 9 are now withdrawn.

When the picot edge 1 is approached a further change of feeders is effected, a feeder PF (Fig. 19) being introduced for the predeter- The picot edge is formed by means of butts 42 at the top of the Jacks, these butts being only provided on spaced Jacks. A bolt cam I is introduced by finger Ii (being connected with cam 9 in such manner that cams 8 and II have converse movements) which cam II engages these butts l2 and lowers the Jacks slightly so that they are taken down still further by the cam l3 which therefore causes the associated needles to tuck, the jacks being raised again in each revolution by cam 28.

At the termination of the welt all the needles LBN are pressed oil by cams I and 9 as 'before mentioned. The fashioning needles are therefore lowered to track 4 and the butts I! of their jacks FJ to track 60. At the same time, however, a cam III (Fig. 5) is inserted to retract the movable stops "I, Illa provided on the respective picker blocks 29, 29a, and it is the retraction of these stops that permits the parts 210 on the jacks to move downwards; as will be appreciated from a consideration of Fig. 11.

The cam III is controlled by an arm on the aforesaid rock shaft 16 which controls cams 9 and III."

The means whereby slack courses are produced are illustrated in Figs. 12-14. The sinkers ll guided in the sinker ring 44 have butts which engage a cam track 45 in the sinker cap 46. Some sinkers have short butts "a but the sinkers associated with those needles which are to .produce the slack stitches at the heel lines I have long butts 41b. At that point in the needle circle whereat the sinkers are to be given a knocking-over advance there are two cams 48a and 48b. The former co-operates with the butts of all sinkers, while the latter co-operates only with the long sinker butts. The cam 48a. is operated by lever 54, link 55, vertical shaft 56' duce slack loops in the heel lines I, by means of a lever 49, vertical shaft 50 and feeler 5| from a pin or other projection 52 on a pin drum 53 which surrounds the base of the needle cylinder 66. The feeler II is capable of being bluffed, at the appropriate times, by linkage indicated generally at II and controlled by the drum of the machine. and lowered into and out of a position in which it is adapted to be displaced by cams 58a, "b, by means of a lever Ill operated through push rod I20 from the main drum of the machine.

The various feeders which are located at the main feeding positions are shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 19. They are pivoted in a feeder bracket I31 on latch ring I and are operated by push rods I39Ill, Fig. 5, controlled from the main drum of the machine. There is a push rod I" for the main feeder MF, a push rod I" for the splicing feeder SF, push rod Ill for the welt feeder WF, a push rod 2 for the picot feeder PF and a push ro'd Ill for a reinforce.- ment yarn feeder RF. Alongside these push rods there is another push rod I which serves to control cutting mechanism mounted on a plate I" which is supported in the interior of the needle circle by a bracket ISI. Referring to ing devices are provided.

Figs. 5 and 17, on the plate I there is a spring clamping finger Ill for the. ground thread C, and a trapper I and a cutter IQI therefor. There is also a spring clamping plate I and a cutter I for the locking thread L. The trapper I and cutter Ill, and the cutter I, are respectively operated by depending links I52, III from a lever I54 oscillated by said push rod I38.

The locking thread L is fed by means of a vertically slidable feeder plate I" which is raised and lowered at the appropriate times by means of a lever I34 pivoted on a bracket I35 and engaging a stud I on said plate. This lever I34 is raised by push rod I36.

The pin drum or ring 53 which surrounds the base of the needle cylinder 66 above the driving gear Ill thereof is shown in Figs. 4, 15 and 16. Two sets of racking mechanism are required, because the size of the ring 53 necessitates a complete revolution thereof for fashioning and a complete revolution for splicing. and each revolution necessitates racking at different intervals. For the same reason two bluff- The ring 53 is provided with, a ratchet wheel III which is engaged by two pawls I56, I51 which may conveniently be termed respectively the fashioning pawl and the splicing pawl since one is operative during fashioning and the other is operating during splicing. The fashioning pawl I56 is oscillated by means of a truck I" engaging a cam I58 on the base of the cylinder. The blufllng mechanism for this splicing pawl consists of a hooked rod I82 which is connectedto a lever I64 operated by the'chain I of the machine and which serves to hold the'truck I60 away from the cam I58. The splicing pawl I51 is likewise operated by a truck ISI engaging a cam I59 on the base of thecylinder and is bluiled by a hooked rod I63 connected to a lever I85 operated by the said chain I.

It is to be understood that any known or convenient means may be provided for adjusting any or all of the needle and sinker cams referred to herein.

The feeler I1 is raised I claim: 1. In a circular knitting machine of the type equipped with latch needles and arranged to produce a fashioned area of fabric by the automatic introduction of needles from an inoperative to an operative position as rotary knitting proceeds: the combination of a feeding station for the active needles; a low inactive track for conducting the inactive needles during rotation'past tive to the inoperative track for rendering the needles inoperative before they reach said station; a latch opener for engaging the latches of needles elevated through said first branch track;

controllable cam means for elevating in each of a series of successive courses the inoperative needles through the first branch track to the latch opener; controllable cam means for lowering said needles in each of said courses through the second branch track before they reach the knitting station; and f mechanism for operating on said inactive needles in other courses to said station;

introduce them to the first branch track in fashioning by the gradual reduction in number of th inactive needles.

2. In a circular knitting machine of the type equipped with latch needles and arranged to produce a fashioned hose blank by the automatic introduction of needles from an inoperative to an operative position as rotary knitting proceeds, thereby to narrow a gap up the back of the leg of the hose blank: the combination of a central group of instep needles having butts; a' group of fashioning needles at each edge thereof, having longer butts; fashioning jacks below the fashioning needles; 2. group of splicing jacks below a certain number of instep needles at each edge of the group of the latter; butts on said jacks, the

butts on the splicing jacks being of two diilerent lengths whereby each group of splicing Jacks is sub-divided into an outer sub-group having relatively short butts, and an inner sub-group having relatively longer butts; a feeding station, including a ground thread feeder and a splicing .thread feeder, for active needles; an upper active track for the butts of active needles to conduct said needles to the knitting station to knit in rotation; a low inactive track for the butts of inactive needles; an upper active track and a lower inactive track for the jack butts; a needleascent branch track for leading the needle butts up from the inactive to the active needle track; a corresponding jack-ascent branch track for leading the butts of corresponding jacks up from the inactive to the active jack track; a needlelowering branch track located between the aforesaid branch track and the feeding station, for leading needle butts down from the active to the inactive needle track before the needles reach a corresponding jack-lowering branch track for leading the jack butts down from the active to the inactive jack track; a controllable clearing cam for elevating all needles in the active track, other than the instep needles, to clear; a controllable lowering cam for introducing the butts of said cleared needles into the needle-lowering branch track to press off; a controllable raising cam for diverting the butts of inactive fashioning needles in each of a series of successive courses of rotary knitting into the needle-ascent branch track to be subsequently.

lowered by said lowering cam; a latch opener for engaging the latches of said diverted needles; fashioning mechanism for operating on the fashioning jacks to raise their butts successively, in a series of fashioning courses. into the jack-ascent track, and for causing the jacks to elevate the butts of the fashioning needles into the needle-ascent track in the gradual introduction of said needles into activity; and means for producing spliced areas at the edges of the blank, including the heel, comprising a controllablesplicing cam at the feeding station for operating on the butts of thesplicing jacks to elevate said jacks and thereby the splicing needles, whereby the latter take the splicing thread and the ground thread, said splicing cam being movable between a position in which it engages the butts' 

